Grinding gears and lunging with 2011 automatic transmission

I used to own a manual trans and would allow the car to roll a little down the hill before engaging the clutch. When I try this with the automatic it sounds like the gears are grinding. It sounds like when you use the starter when the engine is already running, but not quite as loud. It only does it the FIRST time I put it in drive. The rest of the time the trans runs perfectly. Right now I have to step on the brake , make a complete stop, put it in drive, and then release the brake when I feel the converter kick in.

Also the car lunges forward the very FIRST time I put it in drive. It's not the choke. I've driven home from work, killed the engine, started it up again, and when I put in drive for the very FIRST time, it lunges forward. It only does it the very FIRST time after starting the car.

My daily routine was I would back out of the driveway, (It would back up smoothly without lunging) make a complete stop, and if I let it roll forward and put it in gear, it makes the grinding sound. I don't shift into drive while I am still rolling backwards. I braked until the car has stopped rolling backwards.

I have previously owned 2 cars with automatics.

Is this grinding sound and lunging normal for this A/T?

 

You should come to a full stop and, with the brake applied, shift from reverse to drive. Don't shift while still rolling backwards.

Grinding and lunging is not normal with any transmission.

 

Grinding? Could you describe the sound a bit more?

 

Grinding is normal, if you are considering that he is doing, ISN'T. Its grinding simply because he is shifting the gear from neutral into drive without applying the brakes. Similar to the "coast in neutral" thread.

The lunging, on the other hand, I suspect he is overexaggarating... unless he is shifting without using the brakes.

I guess he doesn't understand the concept of the torque convertor, which does not ever fully disengage like a clutch. It can only slip, or lock. And if you don't apply the brakes, the engine will act on the transmission, even if the tq is slipping.

My guess is that he is trying to shift while in motion, with his first AT.

USE THE BRAKES.

 

^^^exactly I suspect he is trying the same thing, like it was still a manual trans

 

And I'm going to add - one should just put a car in Drive most of the trip, no need to shift to neutral at lights either. The only time I totally disengage the transmission is when its a bumper to bumper parking lot situation.

The driver in this case is not normal, so the car is behaving according to the inputs of the abnormal driving. Brake to complete stop, as everyone said, before you shift into drive/reverse.

 

Not normal. I do plenty on neutral drops from a stop, at 30, at 50, at 70, never ever a noise, this transmission is resilient.

 

Probably not normal, something might be slightly damaged.

But regardless, your practice does not gain you anything in a modern car, both with a manual or automatic, (google and you will find discussions), so just shift while stopped rather than in motion.